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An Amasaman Circuit Court has remanded a 60-year-old businessman, Sumaila Osman, for allegedly defrauding a man of GH¢270,000 under the pretext of selling him a tipper truck.
Osman denied conspiring with two others, currently at large, to defraud the complainant, William Seshie. He is expected to reappear before the court on January 29, 2026.
Police are pursuing the alleged accomplices.
Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Justice Alexander Graham, a High Court Judge with additional responsibility at the Circuit Court, that Osman was part of a car fraud syndicate operating within Accra and its environs.
In August 2025, Osman spotted a tipper truck with registration number NG 3307-22 advertised for sale, contacted the driver, took photographs of the vehicle and reposted them on the Jiji App as his own.
A witness, Henry Fiakpui, reportedly obtained the contact details from the app and shared them with the complainant, who expressed interest and travelled from Sogakope to Accra to inspect the truck.
The court heard that Osman and his accomplices arranged multiple meetings with the complainant, during which he was introduced to a supposed owner and negotiations concluded at GH¢280,000.
On August 8, 2025, the complainant, accompanied by his brother-in-law and a mechanic, inspected the truck at a washing bay at Amasaman in Accra, after which he paid GH¢270,000 to the supposed owner.
However, upon returning to take possession of the vehicle, the complainant discovered that Osman and his accomplices had fled.
Subsequent checks revealed that the rightful owner of the truck had not received any payment.
Police later arrested Osman on January 9, 2026, at Achiaman School Park near Amasaman.
Three vehicles, one Toyota Corolla with registration number GR3402-23 and two unregistered cars, Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Vitz, GH¢68,200 in cash, several mobile phones and SIM cards were retrieved.
Chief Inspector Nashiru said Osman admitted the offence during investigations and pleaded for time to refund the money but failed to assist police in arresting his accomplices.
He was accordingly charged and remanded into police custody.
